When can my ducks be outside

[latb611]

My white Pekin are 4 weeks old and are not using a heat lamp in my house but when can they go outside without the heat lamp. I live in Texas so right now our day time temps are in the 60's and 70's but the evening temps are dropping down to the high 40's. As you can imagine my ducks are stinking up my house lol but I also think they are getting too big for the brooder I have.

 

[Sonya9]

Do you have a place set up for them outside with fencing and a shelter? If so I would error on the side of caution and let them out during the day, then scoop them up and back in their brooder when it gets dark and cold.

Other duck people may suggest otherwise but I would be afraid to expose them to temps in the 40's especially if they aren't fully feathered.

 

[Going Quackers]

That isn't too bad for night temps.. mine are just over a week and we're still below freezing, so they will remain in for awhile. For housing what are they going into? you want good venting, and pred proof(of coarse lol)

One could try it out and see how they respond, are you able to run their lamp for night if it's needed or it is a definite non option. For whatever it's worth a year ago, i had a clutch of Muscovy mind you they had their mama but still we were well below freezing and snow, they all did well and by 4wks i had no lamp out there either.

 

[latb611]

They will be in a fenced area with a coop to be shut up in at night. No I don't really have a way to put the heat lamp outside which is why they have been inside all this time lol.

 

[Amiga]

At four weeks, I would not have them out in anything colder than 70˚F.

How predator-proof is the outdoor shelter?

Specifically, could a hawk fly into the pen? There have been quite a number of reports of hawks taking adult ducks, the risk is even higher for ducklings.

 

[latb611]

The fenced in area is just an open fence but we don't have many problems with hawks around here. Just about everyone on my street has free range birds and most have no coop. The coop will be secure and they will be kept inside it at night.

 

[TLWR]

Put them out there during the day, clean their brooder and then bring them back in at night until they are fully feathered.
Do you have a covered porch/patio you could put them on?
I brooded my ducklings on the patio. Second batch was in the back bathroom for 2 days until I'd had enough. I swear I can still smell duckling when I walk into that bathroom.

 

[latb611]

No unfortunately no porch or garage or anything like that. Maybe I will try them just outside during the day till the weather improves.

 

[nayeli]

I would do just what your planning. Sorry there isn't a better alternative but if you can get heat to their coop then it really is pretty cold out for them at this stage. Once they reach maturity they will be fine even in colder weather but not yet..